4.  The applicants were born in 1953 and 1963 respectively and live in Most.
5.  On 20 July 1992 they bought a building and plots of land from the Town of Most (Město Most) for CZK 1,600,000 (EUR 56,338). They intended to use them for business purposes. The purchase agreement stated that the property and all the relevant documentation would be handed over to the applicants within twenty days of the date of payment of the purchase price but not before the registration of the transfer in the Cadastral Registry, and that the property was free of all legal burdens vis-à-vis third persons.
6.  In August 1992 the seller allowed the applicants to begin work on the property. On 29 January 1993 the applicants received part of the documentation relating to the property. It revealed that a heating flue traversed (underneath) one of the plots, which made the property unsuitable for their envisaged business purposes.
7.  On 23 May 1993 the applicants notified the seller of the discovery of the heating flue and requested a discount from the purchase price, in the sum of CZK 500,000 CZK (EUR 17,606). On 31 August 1993 they received the remainder of the documentation.
8.  As the seller refused the applicants’ request of 23 May 1993, they lodged a civil action in the Ústí nad Labem Regional Court (krajský soud) on 30 September 1993, claiming a discount from the purchase price.
9.  On 3 May 1994 the Regional Court, having received the applicants’ action on 4 October 1993, held that it was not competent to deal with the action which was, on 9 June 1994, transferred to the Most District Court (okresní soud). On 29 August 1994 the applicants’ lawyer was invited to pay court fees, which he did on 23 September 1994.
10.  On 2 January 1995 the applicants’ lawyer, following the court’s request of 2 December 1994, supplemented his clients’ action. On 3 January 1995 the District Court issued a payment order against the defendant who, on 1 February 1995, filed a protest (odpor). On 13 March 1995 the case was given to another judge. On 16 March and 6 May 1995 respectively, the defendant was invited to provide reasons for his protest. He complied on 14 June 1995. On 20 June 1995 the document was sent to the applicants’ lawyer.
11. On 21 August 1995 the court invited the Most Housing Association (podnik bytového hospodářství) to submit a report. It received the report on 5 September 1995.
12.  A hearing held on 6 December 1995 was adjourned until 23 February 1996 in order, inter alia, to hear the second applicant, who had not attended the hearing.
13.  On 19 and 30 April 1996 the applicants’ lawyer, following the court’s request of 6 March 1996, submitted supplementary documents.
14.  A hearing held on 6 September 1996 was adjourned sine die in order to have an expert report drawn up. On 5 March 1997 an expert was appointed. However, on 2 April 1997, he asked to be released from his appointment because of health problems. On 20 May 1997 the court appointed a new expert, who presented his opinion on 5 August 1997. On 11 September 1997 the court decided on the expert’s fees.
15.  On 17 November 1997, in reply to the court’s request of 29 October 1997, the applicants’ lawyer informed the court that he would not adduce any supplementary evidence.
16.  A hearing held on 23 January 1998 was adjourned until 16 March 1998 in order to summon two witnesses suggested by the defendant. A hearing on 16 March 1998 was adjourned as the applicants’ lawyer requested a period of 14 days in order to submit supplementary evidence. The applicants’ lawyer was urged, on 25 May and 12 August 1998, to identify the additional evidence. However, no additional evidence was adduced in the end.
17.  On 30 October 1998 the District Court held a hearing.
18.  Having heard the parties and several witnesses, and having relied on documentary evidence and an expert opinion, the District Court dismissed the applicants’ action on 6 November 1998. It rejected their allegation that they had accepted the property only in January 1993 when the documentation relating to the property had been handed over to them. It established that the applicants had actually accepted it in August 1992, when the construction works had started. It concluded that the applicants’ right to claim a warranty in respect of the property had expired due to their failure to notify the seller about their discovery of the heating flue within the six-month time limit, calculated from the date of their acceptance of the property, as provided for in Article 599 (1) of the Civil Code.
19.  On 31 December 1998 the court delivered an ancillary judgment in which it decided on court fees.
20.  On 24 November 1999 the Ústí nad Labem Regional Court (krajský soud), upon the applicants’ appeals of 21, 27 and 28 January 1999, upheld the first-instance judgment. The appeal judgment became effective on 23 December 1999.
21.  On 18 February 2000 the applicants filed a constitutional appeal (ústavní stížnost) in which they complained about the alleged unfairness of the proceedings and a violation of their right to the peaceful enjoyment of their possessions. On 24 March 2000 the applicants’ lawyer presented relevant documentation.
22.  On 7 April 2000 the Constitutional Court (Ústavní soud) invited the lower courts and the defendant to submit their written observations. It received the last set of observations on 23 May 2000.
23.  On 30 October 2001 the Constitutional Court dismissed the constitutional appeal, finding no violation of the applicants’ property rights, and held that the ordinary courts had conducted the proceedings in accordance with the principles of procedural fairness.